Conflicts Over Water Are on the Rise

Water conflicts are on the rise around the world, according to data from the Pacific Institute. In the first four years of this decade alone, there have been 785 recorded water conflicts worldwide. This is already 27 percent higher than the number of conflicts linked to water resources of the entire decade from 2010-2019, when 620 such events were reported in total. As this chart clearly illustrates, the frequency of water conflicts is growing exponentially.

The Pacific Institute’s data is categorized based on the use, impact or effect that water has within a conflict and can be subdivided into three main groups. The first is termed “casualty” and describes the loss of water resources or systems due to becoming intentional or incidental targets of violence. The second is defined as a “weapon”, where water resources or systems are used as an instrument or weapon in a violent conflict. The third and final group falls under “trigger”, which covers conflicts that are directly over the control of water. In this case, economic or physical access to water, or the event of water scarcity, have triggered violence.